South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh has been found guilty of murdering his wife and son.
Following a six-week trial, Murdaugh was convicted of two counts of murder and two weapon related charges. He faces 30 years to life in prison without parole for each murder charge.
Maggie, 52, and Paul Murdaugh, 22, were shot dead near the dog kennels on their family estate on June 7, 2021.
Prosecutors said Murdaugh shot and killed his family members to distract from his string of financial crimes. During the trial in Walterboro, he admitted to taking millions from settlements meant for clients, stealing $3.7million (£3million) in 2019 alone.
Murdaugh had been held in jail in South Carolina since October 2021 on felony counts of fraud, after millions of dollars went missing from a settlement involving the death of the family’s housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, in 2018.
South Carolina prosecutor, Attorney General Alan Wilson, said (via BBC): “Today’s verdict proves that no one, no matter who you are in society, is above the law.”
Murdaugh had pleaded not guilty to killing his wife and youngest son. During the trial, he made the risky move of taking to the witness stand to plead his innocence.
“I would never hurt Maggie, and I would never hurt Paul – ever – under any circumstances,” Murdaugh said.
For months after the murders, Murdaugh had repeatedly claimed he had not been at the dog kennels on the evening his wife and son were shot.
Prosecutors brought attention to a Snapchat video filmed by Paul minutes before the shootings, where Murdaugh’s voice could be heard in the background. During the trial, Murdaugh admitted he had lied, saying his years-long addiction to painkillers had put him in a paranoid state.
Maggie was shot five times with a rifle and their son Paul was shot twice with a shotgun, the trial heard.
The case was the subject of Netflix documentary series The Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, which highlights the unraveling of the family’s prominence and power over South Carolina.
Murdaugh will be sentenced on Friday (March 3) at 9.30am.
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